The Oak Park Education Foundation's 7th annual Vex Robotics competition between Julian & Brooks students on January 28 was an amazing display of middle school engineering talent. More than 80 sixth-eight graders worked with teachers, volunteer engineers, and high school mentors after school for months to design, build and program inventive robots that showed their stuff on a playing field at the Julian gym in front of a packed house of cheering fans, friends and family.

This year Julian took back the trophy from Brooks in a 319-95 win. But they're not finished -- five teams from each middle school are still preparing for a regional competition in Batavia on February 11 to compete against area teams, most of them high schoolers.

During the Robotics competition, OPEF also held our first Open House showcasing all our programs: Architecture Adventure, Art Start, Science Alliance, Geared Up, Vex Robotics and BASE Camp. The Julian Commons was full of parents and kids, ages 5-12, trying their hands at challenging, educational and fun activities. Kids operated Vex Robots, build pocket totem sculptures, designed LEGO machines and created innovative buildings of LEGOs, experimented with water, rocks and electricity with EPA scientists, and created Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired window designs.

Thanks to all who participated, supported, attended, or followed us on Twitter, including our event sponsors: Aria Group Architects, Forest Park National Bank, Hoy Landscaping, It's A Sign, and Starship Restaurant & Catering.

Make sure to check out our slideshow of photos from the Vex Competition and Open House from photographers Maria Soderburg and Paul Goyette.



 

All four 2nd grade at Holmes school teamed up with Gretchen Junker from OPEF's Geared Up program and the two Holmes art teachers, Jon Kristofer and Casey Klemp-Florczak, plus many parent volunteers, to conduct an awesome trimester research project.

Students took walking field trips in the rectangle of Chicago Avenue, Lake Street, Harlem Avenue, and Oak Park Avenue. They worked in teams and mapped out the businesses and houses along their route. Each child wrote and presented a description of their building, and their presentations were videotaped and made into a slide show. They also conducted web research on their community.

Finally, students engaged their math skills by learning how to read a footprint and how to build to scale, and constructed their buildings using LEGOs. The neighborhood they built was realistic and impressive! They showed their creations to family and friends on display in the art room on Specials Night in early December.

Make sure you check out our slideshow of photos -- including shots of the LEGO structures and their real-world inspirations -- by Gretchen Junker.



 

Olivia N.'s skyline included a concert hall and a harp-shaped building for music classes. "It's not what you are assigned to do but what inspires you," she said.

Olivia is one of the Mann 5th graders in Ms. Klemp-Florczak's art class who recently designed and created their own large-scale skylines, painted on corrugated board. Adrienne McMullen, local architect and coordinator for OPEF's Architecture Adventure, used Chicago's skyline and examples from other cities to give the students a sense of overall skylines as well as landmark buildings.

The skylines were recently on display in the windows of Red Hen Bread, 736 Lake Street in Oak Park.

Part of the project was to learn about mixing colors. Peter G. was experimenting with two different shades of red to get the look of "simulated bricks." Alexandra H. said, "I needed to add more color to make it stand out since when this dries it looks really pale."

James K. created a skyline of chess pieces, sketched and painted with great precision. Katie D's skyline featured a giant hourglass in the center. As she explained, "This end [of the skyline] is sun and summer and this end is winter and the moon, with the hourglass running down in between."

Ms. Klemp-Florczak said, "They have wanted to come in at lunch to work on these. They are really working hard and enthusiastic about it."

Be sure to check out this slideshow of photos by Patti Quilling and Adrienne McMullen.



 

Growing up in Oak Park, kids see Victorian homes all the time. Working with Architecture Adventure coordinator, Adrienne McMullen, Longfellow 4th and 5th graders have been getting the uncommon opportunity to actually study and recreate them.

Using a large folded piece of poster board, the 4th graders are designing and drawing the exterior of their Victorian homes on the front and filling the inside with interior rooms. The students have seen a slide show of Victorian designs as well as examples right here in Oak Park to give them ideas. Leo B. explained that a key feature was "lots of teeth, or 'dentil' detail." Other students noted additional signature details, such as turrets and stained-glass, and incorporated those into their designs.

4th Grader Baxter F. used turrets to accent his house. "The turrets are like in castles, but it's not like you've got guys with bows and arrows, but just to be fancy." His classmate, Kai Y., whose house was quite detailed, said she'd like to live in a house like that since there "are lots of little spots to hide."

A considerable amount of problem-solving and trial-and-error went into the sketches. Will S., a 5th grader, was pointing out the features of his house and debating whether to make his front door bigger. "I could make one of those stained-glass windows around the sides." The 5th graders are doing larger exteriors and are working with colors to achieve a "painted lady" effect.

All the students will cut out their final pieces to reveal realistic profiles of their houses--a whole neighborhood of Victorians!

Make sure to check out Oak Park photographer David Kindler's photos of Longfellow students at work, and the completed projects.



 

Last spring, all 69 Beye 5th graders with their art teacher Kristen Sundquist studied 100 architecturally significant structures with architect Adrienne McMullen, who runs OPEF's Architecture Adventure program. The students then made detailed sketches of their favorite structures.

Parent volunteers transferred the drawings onto a wall in a Beye hallway, and the students painted their permanent mural. Thanks to Noel Tetrev for creating the beautiful frame, and to Oak Park photographer David Kindler for the photograph above.



 

Oak Parker and architect Garrett Eakin explains how teaching kids about architecture opens their minds to opportunities they might not otherwise realize.



  UPDATE: The photos sets linked below have all been updated with new photos from week four of BASE Camp. Check them out! (7/5/11)

Our Vex Robotics kids (entering 6th-7th grade) custom designed, built and programmed robots to meet a variety of challenges in the form of different games. They built a variety of bots, working in teams, and put on a great show for parents, guardians, siblings and friends at the final competition on June 30!

The Fibonacci Mural group (entering 6th-8th grade) learned and mapped the golden ratio, and then designed and painted a mural under the "L" tracks between North and South Boulevards where Forest Ave. meets Home Ave. On June 13, they took a field trip to get inspiration from many fabulous murals in Humboldt Park. On June 24, they hosted a reception to celebrate their fine work.

Our Architecture Adventurers (students entering 4th-6th grade) designed buildings and made models, with help from professional architects and high school student TAs. They also worked with Google Sketch Up to create 3D virtual models.

The Dissection: Comparative Anatomy and Medical Illustration class (for kids entering 5th-8th grade) spent 2 weeks dissecting specimens from chicken wings to fetal pigs to learn about human anatomy. They spent a day working with Pat Thomas, Board Certified Medical Illustrator and Oak Parker who explained the how and why of her trade and helped students with their illustrations.

Geared Up: Engineering with LEGOs campers (entering 3rd-5th grade) took on new challenges every week -- from structures to wind power, animals to vehicles. They experimented with motors and remote controls, tested their machines and made them better and better.

In Art Start: Arts Adventure, our youngest campers (entering 1st-2nd grade) spent 2 weeks exploring many of the arts, including theater, story, dance, music, and painting.

They presented the fruits of their labor, including an elaborate set, costumes and books made mainly from found materials, to parents and friends on June 24.

In Geared Up/Architecture Adventure: Engineering with LEGOs (for students entering 1st-2nd grade), kids built the White House, Willis Tower, Wrigley Field, Seattle Space Needle, the Grand Canyon and more. They learned about geography, history and architecture while creating very impressive models!

The last week of camp included Art Start: Maps of the Imagination (for kids entering 3rd-5th grade). The kids used painting, drawing, and printmaking to create unique versions of their own mind-boggling mind maps.



 

The Mann 5th graders were shown architectural examples that could inspire them to design a rectilinear building (with straight lines), but they were also told to pull ideas from their own lives as inspiration. The students spent 2 class periods designing their buildings followed by a period transferring their drawings onto a corrugated cardboard sheet. Then volunteer architects and volunteer parents came by to help cut out their designs for construction. The kids used hot glue to assemble their buildings, brought found objects from home to add on to their structures, and then painted their projects for display. The accolades they received from parents and friends were enormous!

Thanks to our volunteer architects and designers: Joe Berton, Kara Boyd, Adrienne McMullen, Roya Bassirirad, and Roseanne McGrath. Check out the slideshow by Paul Goyette.



 

We live outside a city that has a large and diversified skyline. We see it all the time, up close or even, on a clear day, from Oak Park. Adrienne McMullen, local architect and coordinator for OPEF's Architecture Adventure programming, used this local treasure trove of architecture as a springboard into student-designed and -created skylines.

The first step for the Hatch 5th graders was a field trip downtown for the Chicago Architecture Foundation's Skyscraper Tour. Students then viewed photos of other skylines and learned to identify a "landmark structure," such as a bridge, a waterfront, or a unique building, that stands out as a sort of focal point of the city.

In their classes with art teacher Molly Burns and Ms. McMullen, the students then began designing their own landmark structure, and then around that, they created their own skylines. For instance, Sam K's skyline included buildings for different types of activities: "Eating [called "The Big Soup"], economics, library, hang-out building, courthouse (where lawyers work) grocery store, apply-for-jobs building."

The students worked for 3 weeks on idea generation, sketching, and the final drawing on corrugated cardboard. On this particular day, they were finishing their sketches on the posters and cutting out the skylines. By cutting them out, they achieve the effect of a real skyline up against the sky. X-Acto knives ruled the day, so plenty of parent volunteers were on hand to help do the cutting! The next step will be to paint the skylines.

Sarah B.'s landmark structure was a circus behind the tall buildings. She did this in response to Ms. Burns' suggestion that they not have any gaps between buildings. She likes the circus and it would fill in the background well.

Joanna G's skyline included a building shaped like a cello. Joanna is an avid cello player. "I think it's interesting how everyone has different ideas. Some have symmetrical buildings and skylines. Some buildings are flat on top and some are slanted. And some people included cool shapes and even faces."

As parent Emily C. observed, "They can explore what they want to do and let their personalities come out."

Monika K. explained, "I based this building on the one with a diagonal top in Chicago. Adrienne said it was too similar to that so I made two of them and connected them together with a bridge." She also had a clock tower that she said is "kind of like Big Ben in London." So in addition to their own ideas the students picked up ideas from viewing many different skylines.

Thanks to Oak Park photographer David Kindler for this slideshow of photos from Hatch.



 

At Lincoln School, a group of 3rd graders is building houses without any nails, wood, or drywall. Instead, these students are building in a virtual world using Google's SketchUp design program. Their toolbelt consists of a cursor, a toolbar, and the help of their own classmates. Under the direction of local architect Mark Klancic, the 3rd graders are learning some basics of house design and architecture as part of OPEF's Architecture Adventure program.

Click here to see the class's virtual neighborhood tour using SketchUp, and here to see photos of the class working on SketchUp.

Matt Kuntz, GTD teacher at Lincoln, is working with Mr. Klancic for the second year in a row. Mr. Kuntz said, "Mr. Klancic is teaching one group of students on SketchUp and then that group teaches the next group. It also works across grade level. The 4th graders who did it last year want to come back to help out."

For instance, Jacky N. had completed her house design the previous week so she was helping Rayne L. add features to her house since this was Rayne's first time working with the program.

A similar collaboration was going on between Jack K. and Miguel S. Mr. Klancic's first question for Jack was "Are you comfortable in the virtual world?" since it takes a bit of time to learn to use the different SketchUp tools and manipulate the building in 3D space.

"Mr. Klancic takes a pretty complicated program and makes it simpler for these kids," Mr. Kuntz said.

The kids, however, very quickly adapt and learn the "tricks" to the program, such as the "push-pull" tool to bring the bottom of the house below grade. Max H. exclaimed, "Look! I'm making a basement!" Similarly, because the houses around Oak Park have a ridge, or pitched roof, on top, Mr. Klancic taught them how to go from flat to pitched, with the click of the mouse.

As he was helping Miguel, Jack realized he had forgotten how to do this "trick," so he went to a classmate for help. A great deal of teamwork was going on throughout the room--kids sharing their new-found expertise, their excitement, and their creativity. Lots of creativity. Consider Lawrence S., who had practical design features such as a porch awning and a double front door, but also included a telescope on top of his house! As Mr. Kuntz explained, "The things Mr. Klancic is teaching them are not only in SketchUp but also design techniques, his area of expertise." Here, SketchUp really helps, since it has specific tools to create straight lines, parallel lines, and other architectural basics.

Morgan V. admitted that you can get quite creative with SketchUp, but "you can't just put random stuff anywhere, like 40 windows, because then it doesn't even look like something you could live in."

Mr. Klancic told the kids, "The cool thing is that as I'm helping you guys I'm learning too. I'm getting something out of this--other than just the fun of working with you."



 

Irving School Kindergarten students had a wonderful Architecture Adventure experience working with architects Adrienne McMullen and Dayton Castleman, learning about skylines. The children cut out and painted large scale buildings and exhibited them outside their classroom. Click here to see photos taken by Oak Park photographer David Kindler on "Pajama Day."



 

After viewing photos of 100 famous structures around the world, Longfellow 5th graders each chose one that gave them the strongest emotional response. Working closely with volunteer architects from OPEF's Architecture Adventure program, students created detailed sketches of the buildings, learning about the buildings and how to draw realistically and in perspective. A reception was held for the student architects at Oak Park's mail library on Lake Street, where their work is now on display. Click here to see a slideshow of the exhibit by Oak Park photographer Paul Goyette.



 

All Hatch 4th graders were treated to an exciting walking field trip downtown with the Chicago Architecture Foundation, where they had a wonderful time identifying columns, arches, trusses and many other architectural elements.

Inspired by Chicago architecture, and assisted by art teacher Molly Burns with volunteer architects Gaby Miramon, Scott Fortman, Lisa Chervinsky, Naaman Landers, Debra McQueen, Eric Davis, Julia Johnston and Pam Whitehead, the students are building their own structures using corrugated cardboard.

Click here to see a slideshow of photos by Laura Constans of Coco Lapine Studios.



 

We're so proud of Mr. Podlasek's and Ms. Pasquinelli's Longfellow 2nd/3rd graders, who won 1st Place in the LEGO Landmark competition at McCormick Place in Chicago on October 31!

This joint project of the Oak Park Education Foundation's Geared Up and Architecture Adventure programs involved designing and building an elaborate model of Frank Lloyd Wright's Home & Studio out of LEGOs. Students researched and toured the Oak Park landmark as well, learning about architecture and architectural history.

Entries were from not just the Chicago area but from across the US - Tennessee, Texas, Ohio, and West Virginia. Our winning entry received over 1,600 votes from LEGO Kidsfest visitors -- 46 more votes than the 2nd place finisher.

Congratulations to the talented and hard-working 43 students and 2 teachers who participated, as well as architects George Beach, Kimberly Zeister & Randy Guillot, and all of the parent volunteers who helped. Thanks also to Jan Kieckhefer, Director of Education for the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust.

The competition was designed to provide students an opportunity to explore and learn about their local, regional, or state history while discovering the value and importance of teamwork, imagination, and creative building.

To see more photos and an article from the Oak Park-River Forest Patch, click here. You can also see Gretchen Junker's photos of the project here.



 

With a color photo of the Beijing Water Cube as a guide, Promise A. was recreating the Olympic structure in her sketchpad. Noticing that the lines on either side of the structure were equal, she was working on creating the right perspective and angle.

Promise and her classmates in Ms. Raia's 5th grade art classes at Longfellow are creating their own renditions of famous structures from around the world, with the added bonus of having 2 local architects in the room, along with Ms. Raia, to consult as they grapple with depth, detail, color, shape, and perspective.

Tom Bassett-Dilley and Rosanne McGrath are visiting Ms. Raia's class this month as part of OPEF's Architecture Adventure program. Last week, Adrienne McMullen, architect and Architecture Adventure program coordinator, gave the 5th graders a slide presentation of various famous structures from around the world after which they chose one structure to sketch. On this particular day, Mr. Bassett-Dilley was sharing his own sketch book with the students to give them a sense of the process--the sketches of scenes or buildings, the sketches of details, the trial-and-error aspect of sketching, the use of pencil and the use of color. One student asked, "Do you ever have time to just draw?" and he told them, pointing to his sketch book, "Well, this is it. But I used to do a lot more. I got busy with work and my 2 young kids."

Promise A. liked the fact that the architects are "taking their time to help us and communicate with us and show us how to do it the right way. They told us about what it takes if you want to be an artist--like walking in their shoes to hear how they used to draw and how they draw now."

Sitting across from Promise with her 21st century Water Cube was Jacob S., who chose the Parthenon from ancient Athens. "It was different from all the others. They are all new and modern. I like buildings with columns, that type of architecture, and, well, this has a lot of columns!" He thinks it's "cool" to have the architects come in "since their actual job is architecture--designing real buildings that then have been made."

On the other side of the room, Jannai B. was going through a bit of her own trial and error with her sketch of the Reichstag Dome in Berlin. Ms. Raia was giving her some instructions on the curvature of the lines and reminded Jannai of a project the kids had done a few years ago--"It's like the lines on a pumpkin." This particular building has a sculpture of a cyclone in the middle of it. In trying to figure out how to get that effect, Jannai noticed it was like the center of an angel food cake pan. And then she was off--she had her cyclone! She said she likes nature and likes drawing things in nature and she agreed that a cyclone is certainly part of nature as well.

Other students were recreating a variety of structures from the Gherkin Building in London to the Korean War Memorial in Washington D. C. This latter structure inspired a conversation at the table

about what the Korean War was all about as Hasani C., who likes to draw action figures, carefully replicated the metal images on his sketchpad.

The sketches will be on display at the Oak Park Library in November. Click here to see a slideshow of pictures by Ginger Yarrow.



 

A major PTO campaign at Irving is aimed at remaking the school's exterior space, and Irving 5th graders have been part of the process through Architecture Adventure. Students worked with local landscape architects Michael Elsen and Colleen Hulen to develop their own site plans that included not only kid-centered ideas, but also ideas that showed an awareness of environmental and community needs.

The students' plans include a community garden, a rock-climbing wall, grass mazes, and rooftop gardens. Ms. Linne said the climbing wall and an area for playing four-square were ideas not thought of by the adults working on the project, and that these will be considered in the final plans.

The students learned about artificial turfs as an alternative to real grass from Jassen Strokosch, who was Irving PTO president when the Irving Schoolyard Revitalization Project was first developed. Artifical turf, made from recycled materials, doesn't turn to mud when heavily used and also drains better--into giant rain barrels beneath the surface. "So it's kid-friendly but environmentally driven," said Mr. Strokosch.

At times, the students had to check their creativity with reality and safety. For instance, Mason P. explained that "you can't put a grass maze right in front of the main entrance!" Problem-solving came into play as well. Rosie W. said, "We needed to find a safe place for the climbing wall so finally we decided to put a fence around the field."

The students all agreed that the process was one of compromise. Kevin C. said "we had a lot of arguments in our group deciding what to put where." Isaac J. chimed in that "sometimes we had to barter," and Daija G. said "I know there were problems, but we usually figured it out by majority."

The students were happy to be part of the process. Kevin C. marveled, "We are actually making something that could possibly come true," which he noted is not always the case with school projects. Max M. was pleased "just having the honor to design it."

Click here to see a slideshow of photos by Sophia Lyman.



 

It's been a fun and productive camp experience for more than 100 kids, ages 7-12, who attended OPEF's first BASE Camp this June. Check out our pictures of:

• Architecture Adventure students constructing a miniature city and exploring architectural landmarks from around the world. They worked with professional architects and their tools, creating a mind-blowing city using 3D models, and learning Google Sketch Up design.
• Vex Robotics students designing, building and programming remote-controlled robots from scratch, with help from their teachers and some high school mentors. They held 2 scrimmages to compete and test the various skills of the bots they created.
• Geared Up students designing and building machines that work (like a cart, a clock, a windmill and a robotic dog) using Lego Motorized Mechanisms kits. They faced numerous design challenges, tested their models and improved them as they went. The students also designed and created bridges to see how much weight they could support.

Congrats to all our impressive BASE Campers! It was great to work with you.

Photos are by Oak Park photographer Paul Goyette.

UPDATE: You can see more pictures from BASE Camp's Architecture Adventure program here. Thanks to Oak Park Photographer David Kindler.

 

Architecture Adventure student works are on display in the windows of 119 N. Marion Street in Oak Park, as part of "Architecture Week in Oak Park." The exhibit will extend beyond the week through April 30. Stop by and take a look!

The show includes large-scale chess pieces modeled after landmark buildings by Whittier students, large-scale building models for a miniature golf course designed by Longfellow students, designs for a green home by middle school students, elaborate landscape designs by Irving students, computer-generated 3D drawings by Lincoln students, and geometric stained glass designs in colored acetate by Lincoln students.

Through Architecture Adventure, District 97 students learn about architecture by working with visiting architects, designers and construction professionals, designing and building projects and taking field trips to Chicago and Oak Park sites of interest.

Numerous other events are planned for Architecture Week in Oak Park, including scavenger hunts that are part of the Oak Park Architecture Photo Party, coordinated by the Oak Park Architectural League.

 

Lincoln 3rd graders learned about architectural features through a neighborhood walking tour conducted by architect Chris Goode.  The students took pictures along the way.  Click here to see some of their photos.

 

Come see the Caryatids (sculpted figures used for supporting buildings) designed by Kindergarteners in their own likeness, on display at Beye! Click on the photo above to see photos from Beye by Oak Park photographer David Kindler of DTKindler Communications.



 

Calling all Julian 7th and 8th graders interested in architecture! Join our 2-day workshop: February 28 and March 7 (students attend BOTH days), 9 am - 1 pm in Mr. Berton's room. The club will be co-taught by a professional architect (Adrienne McMullen), and will be great! Click here to download the sign-up sheet, which should be returned to Mr. Berton by February 23. Cost is $10, and scholarships are available from the Oak Park Education Foundation.



 

Eight architects are collaborating with Ms. Darley's and Ms. Greene's Whittier students this year, in partnership with art teacher Mr. Patterson. Together the architects and students are building 10 large architectural models of significant buildings around the world, which will be used as chess pieces in Mr. Patterson's classroom.

Students are learning about important architecture such as Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the new Trump Tower in Chicago. They are also learning first-hand how architects design and build, and how they create models of projects to be built. The model chess pieces will be added to those made last year by Whittier students in the Architecture Adventure program.

Click here or on the photo above to see pictures from Whittier by Oak Park photographer Peter Wagner.



 

Julian and Brooks middle school students: Experiment with architecture under the wings of a professional architect!

Architecture Adventure after school clubs are taking place:

At Julian: Tuesdays & Thursdays, February 5 through March 4 (no club on February 7), 3:30-5:00, and

At Brooks: Saturdays, April 12 and April 19, 9:00 am-3:00 pm

If you're a 6th, 7th and 8th grader who wonders why buildings look a certain way, or how the interior of a space might change your mood, this club is for you! You'll learn how to use hand drafting tools by designing a floor plan and elevations for a room of your own. You'll build a model with architectural materials and tools, and you'll work with professional architects and engineers.

There's a $10 materials fee; scholarships are available.

For more information, contact Adrienne McMullen at amcmullen2002@yahoo.com.

Also, watch for the School Daze catalog of summer programs that comes home in student backpacks. Current 6th and 7th graders interested in architecture: learn by working with professionals! Architecture Adventure summer camp will meet Tuesday, June 10 through Friday, June 20, 8:30-11:30 a.m.

 

[from the fall 2007 issue of OPEF's newsletter, Take Note]

This year, the Oak Park Education is bringing more experts than ever into classrooms to work with students! Our programs are growing, which means more architects, artists, scientists and technology buffs are opening eyes and inspiring young minds.

For example, this year Global Village will expand to bring scientists into all 6th grade classes for year-long, hands-on residencies, in addition to the scientists already working with 3rd-8th graders throughout the district. Global Village is nearly doubling with 1,140 students working closely with scientists in 2007-2008.

Architecture Adventure is also growing. Launched in 2006 in the middle schools to take advantage of our community's wealth of architecture and professionals in the field, Architecture Adventure is now reaching into the K-5 classrooms as well. We'll have after-school clubs and an architecture summer camp later this year.

Our Vex Robotics Teams have dramatically increased their supply of robot parts and equipment, and added programming capability and adult supervisors since last year. The after-school clubs began in October for 6th, 7th and 8th graders at both middle schools. One of last year's participants said of the program, "My favorite part of robotics is learning mechanics. I always wondered how stuff works and I found out."

The Foundation's budget has also increased, in part thanks to major grants from Community Bank of OP-RF, the OP-RF Community Foundation, the Oak Park Area Arts Council and Target. But the vast majority of our funding comes from individuals in the community, responding to our requests with generous donations. You've asked us to keep the momentum growing: to provide innovative programs in our public schools, to keep the community connected to the schools and to continue developing, funding and implementing exciting programs.

Our programs exist only with your support! To make a donation to the Oak Park Education Foundation, click here. You can also reach us by mail at 970 Madison Street, Oak Park IL 60302, or by phone at (708) 524-3023.

 

The Oak Park Education Foundation is proud to be the August recipient of a $10,000 grant to expand Architecture Adventure into all ten Oak Park public schools. With the help of the Community Bank of Oak Park River Forest, we are inspiring the next generation of architects, citizens, designers and engineers.

Community Bank received 87 grant applications for the ten $10,000 grants.

The Oak Park Education Foundation will use its grant to conduct staff development for art teachers in architecture, introduce architecture curriculum to students, and purchase permanent and consumable materials for architecture projects in all ten schools. We will also be bringing architects into the schools, taking field trips to Oak Park and Chicago sites, and running an after-school club and summer camp in 2008!

 

Click here to read about middle schoolers experimenting with architecture